Double turnabout! Paradise of light and shadow
by Alia Inverse
Summary: After that first trial one year ago, Mia Fey thought she'd never step on court again. So what was she doing now, defending non-other than Dahlia Hawthorne? And why did that girl not look like the murderer she once knew? Iris&Nick and Mia&Diego
1. A heart for the Witch of the West

**WARNING: Spoilers of Trials and Tribulations. Also, Iris&Phoenix and Mia&Diego.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Phoenix Wright's games. If I did, Feenie would marry Iris and be a lawyer until he was eighty. Hmph.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>The 'future' is something so unstable, that even the smallest and most insignificant of things can change its shape.<p>

Let's change something then, and see what could have been. Let's change… 5 cm.

For 5 cm, Maria took the clock instead of the brush to throw in Larry's direction. The clock survived the rampage, but not unscratched. The next day, the alarm was one hour late.

One hour late meant that Larry never met his friend that morning, and couldn't convince him to hear him out at the nearest café, saving Nick from three hours of talk about the meaning of life without love and other meaningful matters, thus allowing him to arrive to his class in time. Thanks to that schedule, he arrived to Southern California Courthouse half an hour earlier.

It was thirty minutes that made the difference between life and death for them. But before I can tell you that story, we must learn exactly how much things changed because of that single chance encounter.

Phoenix Wright, student of Art and Law at Ivy University stopped his bike in front of the grand building and secured it before heading inside. He had come straight away after the end of classes. It was hard to study both subjects, but he never seemed to be able to choose between one and the other; after all, it would be just five years of hard work and mad schedules.

As soon as he stepped inside, one of the trials finished and people began to go out of the court. That in itself didn't have any importance, if it wasn't because the prosecutor of that case was the one person Phoenix didn't want to see (yet).

His perfect plan of becoming an attorney and open the other's eyes wouldn't work if Edgeworth knew what he was doing (he still had to answer one of his calls or letters, after all), so he abruptly changed his route and nearly ran towards a corridor that led to the cafeteria.

Distracted by this victory, he failed to notice his surroundings, crashing into the person closest to him. Suddenly he felt something hot and wet on his face that made him jump in pain.

"What were you thinking, running in a place like that?"

Phoenix looked up to find a huge man with a stripped vest and an attorney badge; the person took a handkerchief from one of his pockets and tried without results to clean his clothes before the coffee could spread more. Before he could apologize, the other let out a frustrated sight, and went into the bathroom.

Really, the attorney couldn't believe his luck; precisely the day when he was finally going to get that Hawthorne… but he figured she wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes; it would definitely be better than to show up in that state. Knowing that harpy's personality, a bad impression would ruin their meeting (not that he was hoping for much, anyway).

When Diego Armando arrived at the cafeteria, barely ten minutes later, he immediately noticed that something was wrong. It didn't take him more than ten seconds to found the source of the commotion; in one of the tables, a man was lying down, most likely dead. At the moment he saw the corpse, he had the eerie feeling that he himself had escaped death by a hair's length. He scanned the room, but Dahlia Hawthorne was nowhere to be seen.

The murder of Doug Swallow was never solved. Since the poison was never found, the only suspect was freed without going to tribunals.

And so, eight months passed by.

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><p><strong>Ch.1 _ A heart for the Witch of the West<strong>

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><p><span>April 11, 09:40 AM<span>

District Court

Defendant Lobby nº 3

"Really, Mia? I can't believe that your first case after a year is to defend that witch."

"I know, Diego. I don't know why I'm doing this either. It's just that… something seems off. It's like she is another person."

"Still, kitten, you have some serious suicidal inclinations. Defending that harpy… and the prosecutor is him again. I hope you know what you are doing."

"I do. I hope. Maybe. Will you be there with me?"

"You have to ask?"

Mia Fey had been the most surprised one when she discovered the identity of her client. Even though she hadn't been in any trial after that first time, she had received a call that asked for her services specifically; it wasn't until Mia reached the detention center that she found out…

When she saw Dahlia Hawthorne at the other side of the glass, the first thing she thought was that it was a trick. Then she thought that it was a dream, but finally decided to consider it a joke. Ha!

After confirming that it was no dream and that the woman on the other side was dead serious, she got so angry that she almost left the room on the spot. But then… Hawthorne, the same Hawthorne that killed Doug Swallow and caused Terry Fawles to suicide said: 'please'.

And somehow Mia felt that there was no lie in that one word. She agreed to hear her out, and the more Dahlia spoke, the more confused Mia was. That girl… she wasn't the same heartless murderer she was last year. If Mia didn't know better, she would have sworn that it was Hawthorne's long lost twin… even if Mia knew that it was impossible.

The courtroom's atmosphere seemed even more oppressive than before; Mia stopped on the threshold to inspire and expire a few times before getting in place. She couldn't help but glance at her client, looking for signs of deceit. Hawthorne had big bangs on her eyes, almost as if she had barely slept the night before and her eyes were a bit swollen; was it possible to fake to that stent?

"Ms. Fey. Ms. Fey, is the defense ready?"

"Umm? Oh, yes. Yes, it is. I'm sorry, Your Honor"

"Ms. Fey, you do realize that Ms. Hawthorne is charged of murder? If you don't feel ready, it might be wise to find another attorney."

"No, Your Honor. I'm ready."

"Well then, the prosecution may proceed."

Miles Edgeworth smirked, as pompous and self-conceited as ever. Even though they had debuted at the same time, Edgeworth had already gained a lot of fame as a genius prosecutor, and had yet to lose a case. He bowed to his audience before speaking (stuck-up little brat…).

"The crime took place on Ivy University. The victim was a student called Phoenix Wright."

"He seems a bit aloof." Commented the judge.

"Uh, yes. We have a photo of the crime scene. A friend of the victim was the first to arrive. He found the victim and the suspect, who had not been able to flee. He was the one who called the police.

"I must admit, it makes sense. The court accepts the photo as a proof."

Mia was a bit surprised at first. As far as she knew, Phoenix hadn't died yet, even though he was in a pretty bad state. Why wouldn't Edgeworth mention _that_? It probably was to get a higher sentence. He had no reasons to prevent the murderer from knowing the truth, had he?

Agh, she had to trust her client. Like it or not, Dahlia was her client. So no more doubting, Mia scolded herself.

"The autopsy confirmed the time of death to be between 14:00 and 15:00."

"And the cause of death? It is not clear in the photo." The judge continued.

"He was poisoned, Your Honor."

"Poison? And how did such a thing happen?"

"The poison was found in this flu medicine, 'coldkiller X'. The effect was instant. The suspect was carrying it when she was found in the crime scene. What is more, we can prove that she was the only one with an opportunity."

"This is strange."

Mia turned to his senior, who had an unreadable look on his face.

"The Dahlia Hawthorne I know would never have made such a stupid mistake. Maybe you _were _right with this, kitten. We'll see how it turns out."

Mia thought about this for a moment; true, Hawthorne would never hold onto something as potentially dangerous as a bottle with poison. She hadn't, eight months ago. Mia wondered if she would have a chance to find out what happened to it someday.

Edgeworth's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"The accusation calls the first witness. Please, state your name and profession."

A man well into his sixties stood up, wearing something similar to a lab coat. He introduced himself as Anthony Grippe, owner of a drugstore near campus. This didn't look good.

"Mr. Grippe, have you seen this man before?" Edgeworth, said, showing him a picture of the Ivy student.

"Oh yes, oh yes, I did. He came often to my store; I remember because he always wore a very pink pullover."

"Could you describe what happened?"

"Of course, of course."

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><p><strong>[Man in pink's order]<strong>

"My store is the best one around campus, so many students come when they are sick and don't want to go to the doctor. Phoenix seemed quite prone to catching colds, so it wasn't the first time I had seen him."

"He always took Coldkiller X, but don't think I poisoned him! I didn't know he'd be coming!"

"Let's see it was… about twelve, I think? _Morning 80_ had just finished, so the time should be right, I think."

"He didn't come alone, though. It was my first time seeing his girlfriend. They both were wearing pink, now that I recall. She didn't seem too happy, though."

**[]**

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><p>Mia frowned. If he had bought the medicine that morning, it would reduce the number of suspects greatly. In fact, it would probably leave just one.<p>

Perfect.

Ok, time to ask, ask and then ask some more.

"Was Mr. Wright a regular customer then?"

"That he was. He always came on his way to a class, and always in a rush since the trip takes about fifteen minutes back and forth. That time he was more relaxed, I guess he didn't have more classes."

"Why did he take that particular brand of medicine?"

"OBJECTION!" – Was it Mia's imagination or Edgeworth had blushed? Was there something wrong with her question? – "The witness can only voice an opinion, and it has no relevance for this case."

The judge agreed, and Mia let go unwillingly. Now on to the hard part.

"About the time when he came to the store…"

"Yes, yes, it must have been about twelve. I normally have the radio on in the mornings to, you know, create a lively atmosphere for my clients. Phoenix came just as the locutor was introducing the next show. So it should be about twelve."

She could practically see the mouse trap she was about to step in.

"About the girl you saw with him. Could you describe her?"

"Sure. Pretty little thing may I say. Red hair, pink umbrella. Well, that pretty lady over there it was. But not as pale. Are you okay, missy? Do you want one of my fool-proof ol' grampa remedies?"

To Mia's surprise, Hawthorne managed a little smile at the man's concern and shook his head a little before bringing her hand to her chest. She kept her head low then, fighting back new tears.

'Strange' didn't even begin to sum up Mia's feelings. Hawthorne was a real good actress, but even _she_ wouldn't be able to keep the façade up for so long. Besides, she hadn't tried to seduce the judge once, and the last one had been practically drooling at her.

Edgeworth cleared his throat, and Mia sent him an annoyed look.

"The computer of the drugstore confirms that the bottle was indeed bought that morning at 12:04. That leaves about three hours for anyone to put the poison inside. Another three witnesses have confirmed that the suspect was with the victim, and so she was the one with the best opportunity."

And with that he handed the piece of information to the judge and flashed once of those victory smirks that made Mia want to punch him. How dared he! He took advantage of her distraction and dealt a finishing blow. Now the judge was practically convinced of Edgeworth's version!

"OBJECTION! The fact that she was with him at that time doesn't prove anything. Three hours are a long time, and we can't even know if they were together until the incident!"

The judge finally snapped out of his daze and agreed with her; Mia sighed in relief.

Edgeworth shook his head and moved a finger in front of him.

"Of course it isn't. The accusation merely wished to clarify every possible doubt on court. If there are no more questions from the defense, we can proceed to the next witness: a friend of the victim and the _person_ who found him."

Anthony Grippe left the stand, still listing in a low voice medicines for the girl. Mia wondered who the next witness could be; she had noticed the strange intonation Edgeworth had used when referring to him. A man on his twenties made his way to the stand, shoulders hunched forward and being the pure image of depression.

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><p><strong>Please, review after reading. Also, I'm not English, so I apologize for any mistakes I could have made; if you spot any feel free to correct me. I'm especially interested in the way the characters speak; I played these games on Spanish, so some things might be missing.<strong>

**Next chapter will be up in two days!**

**P.S.: Can anyone guess the identity of the second witness?**


	2. Jester, Beauty and the Beast

**Ch.2 _ Jester, Beauty and the Beast**

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><p>Edgeworth was looking at the spiky haired person as if he wanted to bore a hole through his head with his gaze alone. Mia had to wonder if something happened before the trial; the poor guy was crying so much that it would be a miracle if he testified at all. Well, his friend was almost dead, but it seemed like a bit of an overreaction.<p>

"Your name and profession, witness."

"How can you be so mean, Edgey? It's Nick! Nick died! And it is my fault, I deserve to diiiieee!"

"Witness…"

"And Ashley left me the other day too… I don't have a reason to live any more. Just do the verdict already! Let me die in peace!"

"Witness! You are not charged with any crimes here. Name. Profession. Now."

Finally, 'Edgey' managed to calm the witness down a little while Mia hid an unprofessional chuckle.

"I'm Larry Butz, university student since two months ago."

"Two months ago?" The judge said. "But we are in April!"

"Yeah, well. I'm young! I'm following the path of my heart! A little detour is something perfectly normal."

Edgeworth decided to ignore the witness' ramblings and turned back to the topic at hand.

"You were the one who found the corpse, is that correct?"

"Yes, I… I found him… Niiiiiiiiiick!"

The judge was getting more and more confused by the second. "Who is this Nick the witness is talking about?"

"It seems to be the victim's nickname, Your Honor." Diego interceded, annoyed by the comical interlude. "We should proceed with the interrogation before my coffee gets too cold."

Mia tried to cheer the man up a bit; after all, she was just as nervous as him.

"Please, it would be a great help if you could tell us what you saw then. It's the best you can do for your friend now, right?"

Surprisingly, it seemed to work. He calmed down, took a deep breath and started talking.

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><p><strong>[What I saw, part 1]<strong>

"Nick, Dahlia and me had agreed to meet that day at about 14:30."

"It was a quite hidden place, so I guess no one else would be there…"

"Something came up, so I arrived late."

"I saw everything! Nick got an unopened bottle of coldkiller from his inside jacket pocket! It had nothing to do with Dahlia!"

**[]**

* * *

><p>In front of her, Edgeworth was seething. But as annoyed as he could be with the witness, Mia could tell that he was still confident. Mia mentally prepared to interrogate said witness, who was smiling rather proudly… he sure changed moods quickly.<p>

Now, where should she start? The testimony was solid, and innocent enough. She couldn't find any contradictions with just that, so she let her intuition free; time to use her favorite method once again.

"How do you know the bottle was unopened?"

"I heard the other guy testify. Nick only takes coldkiller with meals, so he couldn't have opened it before."

"You had agreed to meet? What was your relationship with the victim and my client?"

"Duh, I've been Nick's friend since forever. He never hit on a chick before, so I was getting kinda worried, if you know what I mean." Harry continued, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side. "But he was serious about her. He even said he didn't want me to butt in their relationship! Can you believe it! To me, his very bestest friend!"

"He said… that he didn't want you to interfere? Then why did they meet up with you in the first place?"

"OBJECTION!" Edgeworth was definitely better with his mouth shut. Was it his job to be that annoying? On second thought, maybe it was.

"The reason why the witness was there does not matter. The only important part is that he saw the crime."

"Ms. Fey, are you completely sure that this information is important for the trial? The judge asked, mace in hand.

"It is very important, Your Honor. The defense asks that it is included on the testimony."

"Very well, then. Witness, please modify your testimony."

"Ok. Nick and Dahlia had been dating for months. Months! And that dog didn't say a word. Didn't even show me a picture! So I decided to sneak up on them."

"Hold it! You said before that 'it was a quite hidden place'. How did you find it, then?"

"OBJECTION! I don't know where the defense is going with this."

"OBJECTION! Yes, you do. How can we be completely sure that there was no one else there?"

"OBJECTION! Ah, the foolish of youth. That would matter if the victim was gunned or stabbed. But he was poisoned, and no one had a better chance than the suspect, as it has just been proven."

'You are younger than I am, you jerk' was Mia's first thought. He had toyed with her in the worst possible way! Now she could not keep pressing further. If she did, she'd be playing right in Edgeworth's hands, and she'd be damned if she fell for that again.

"Easy there, kitten. Loosen up, you are thinking too hard. There is more than one type of sugar, you know. Don't be afraid, go for it."

"Um, Mr. Butz? You were late… When exactly did you get to the crime scene?"

"Let's see… I didn't have a watch, but it must have been a little after three o'clock. I know because Clarisse's shift ends at three and I saw her changing turns on the cafeteria. It takes about ten minutes to get to where they…they… "

"were eating… without me…"

The witness then proceeded to throw a tantrum on how cruel his friend had been for not telling him about his girlfriend and Mia was beginning to understand exactly why he didn't.

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><p><strong>[What I saw, part 2]<strong>

"I had been following Nick all day, so I heard where they were going to meet."

"I think I got there sometime after three o'clock."

"Nick was in a coughing fit. Seriously, he was having problems to breathe. So he took the medicine from his pocket."

"And why would Dahlia want to kill Nick, anyway? Ok, so she could do better than him, but he's not _that_ bad."

**[]**

* * *

><p>Absent mindedly, Mia checked what she had thus far, looking for contradictions. Then she checked again. And she checked thrice.<p>

"Diego, can I strangle him?"

"Focus on the cross-examination, Mia. The coffee is better the hotter it is."

Mia grumbled for the umpteenth time. She had never heard a witness so willing to help and so unreliable at the same time. It was obvious that nothing would convince him of Hawthorne's involvement but gosh, could he _at least_ give her something useful?

"Hold it Mr. Butz, are you _sure _that you arrived at the scene after three o'clock?"

He cringed under her gaze, and tears began to form again.

"Yes… I wanted to surprise Clarisse, but she slapped me. I was so deep in shock that I couldn't move for a while. Then I went to find Nick."

A vein popped in Mia's forehead.

"He was still alive when you found him? Are you _completely positive_?"

Harry began to sweat. Bad sign.

"Yes?"

"What do you wish to prove, Ms. Fey? I don't approve of harassing a w… witness." The judge said, about to duck under the table.

"According to the autopsy, Mr. Wright collapsed sometime _before_ 15:00. Meaning that you couldn't have seen him 'in a coughing fit'!"

"Edgeyyy! Help meee!"

"Hmph. The accusation doesn't have anything to add."

"MEANIE!"

The murmurs rose around court, and finally the judge decided it was time to use his authority. After silencing the room, he turned to Harry and ordered him to change his declaration.

"Fine! So when I got there Nick was unconscious, looking all pale like he was a corpse! And I looked for my cellphone and called an ambulance. That's it!"

"Where was my client at that time?" Mia pressed, unforgiving.

"Dahlia was traumatized, okay! She is delicate, you know. It looked like she would faint right there. She didn't do it! I have definite proof that she didn't!"

"What?"

Too bad Mia didn't know about Larry Butz's twisted logic. Edgeworth on the other hand had a general idea of what was going to happen next and had to suppress the urge to slam his head against a wall.

"Look at this photo!" – It was a photo of Dahlia walking near the hall, completely unaware of the shoot. She looked intimidated, and had her eyes cast to the ground avoiding the rest of the students. – "I just took it that day! Have you seen this angel? It's obvious that someone like her would never do something like this!"

The judge blinked. Edgeworth rolled his eyes. Mia recoiled. Diego took a ship of coffee and promptly spat it. Larry looked confused at the lack of positive reaction.

"That was a complete waste of time." – Diego muttered. – "But I didn't know that our Ice Queen could put that kind of façade. She's a skilled one."

It was over. Everything was over. There was no way that fool would give her just one _useful_ bit of information.

And so what if Mia lost? Dahlia Hawthorne was a cold-blooded murderer that would not have second thoughts on killing her own boyfriend. Dahlia Hawthorne killed Terry Fawles. Dahlia Hawthorne almost killed Diego. Mia despised her. So why? Why did she feel like maybe, just maybe she was truly innocent? She looked at the picture angrily while Edgeworth babbled something on the background. She kept her gaze looked at the red-head in there, trying to pry open her secrets. Man, that was driving her crazy! She suddenly averted her eyes, focusing in anything else in there other than the girl.

And then, she saw the light of salvation. Again she checked, once, twice, thrice, but this time she felt more excited than ever since the beginning of the trial. Excited and confused, but who cared?

"Then, I find the suspect, Dahlia Hawthorne…"

"OBJECTION!"

The judge jumped in his chair. The audience gasped and Diego spilled his coffee all over his shirt, hissing.

"There is one big contradiction in this picture! We can't end the trial like this!"

Edgeworth tsked, but his cool demeanor had dropped and he was slightly nervous.

"Ms. Fey can't be saying that the suspect is innocent based on her looks, are you?"

Mia buffed, but felt smug – very, very smug – when she found that she had finally outsmarted the brat.

"Maybe I am. This was taken the day of the crime. A photo of a red-haired girl with a pink umbrella. And something is really suspicious!"

"Can you point the contradiction in the picture, Ms. Fey? If you don't, I'll have to give you a warning."

Mia cleared the bangs on her face with her hand and smiled. She then pointed at the clock clearly visible on the opposite side of the hall, the larger hand pointing near the upper part of a golden two.

After a few seconds, Edgeworth slammed the table, growling. The judge looked from the attorney to the prosecutor and back to the attorney, lost.

"Mr. Grippe testified two things earlier: Mr. Wright bought a bottle of Coldkiller X with his girlfriend at 12:04. _And it takes seven to eight minutes to walk back to campus_. If Ms. Hawthorne was here, she couldn't have been the one who bought the medicine with Mr. Wright!"

In the silence that followed, Mia could hear her own heartbeat. One… two… three…

It was like a bomb had exploded! The chatter was so loud that no one could hear Larry's loud shout of victory or the judge's weak attempts to stop the hubbub. It took a good ten minutes before the judge was able to continue. And he did the only possible thing: extend the trial until the following day. As the people slowly shuffled outside, Mia kept still, knowing that she would not be able to walk without her legs giving in just yet. She had done it, she had… what?

Come to think of it, what had she just proven? There were _two _Dahlia Hawthorne? As if one of them wasn't bad enough!

"I think I need a drink."

Diego nodded and left his sixth cup of coffee behind. The case was still far from over.

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><p><strong>Thank you so much to the people who reviewed and alerted this story, especially to Feyfangirl, that was the very first one. It made me really happy! And <strong>The 37th Drummer was right. It was the Butz. ^^<strong>**

**With this the first day of trial is over; the next chapter will focus on the investigation.**


	3. Snow White's long dream

**Ch.3 _ Snow White's long dream**

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><p><span>April 11, 15:44 PM<span>

Detention center

After a well-deserved break, Mia stood once again in the detention center. Good news: Diego was with her, and not complaining about the 'Ice Queen' for once. Bad news: She had just proven that there were two Dahlias and one of the two had poisoned yet another boyfriend.

When she sat down in front of the glass, she wondered what to say, what to ask but as it turned out it wasn't necessary. Five minutes after they came, a guard appeared with a sheepish face.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but Ms. Hawthorne said that she doesn't want any visitors."

"What? I am not a visitor! I'm her lawyer!"

"My apologies, but she said she _especially_ didn't want to talk to you or to your friend."

"For the love of… Tell her to come here this instant if she wants me to continue being her attorney."

The guard left a bit upset at being treated as an errand boy, and when he came back he shrunk under Mia's murderous glare.

"Ms. Hawthorne… Ms. Hawthorne said that in that case, she thanks you for your hard work until now and she asks you to please stop investigating the murder."

"WHAT? What kind of an idiot is she? Go over there and tell her that she's doing Mr. Wright one hell of a favor, getting in jail while the murderer is out there free to try again!"

When the guard seemed to want to object at that, Mia barked a "Go!" with the promise of a lot of pain if he failed, and the man quickly fled the room.

"Hide your claws, kitten. It's not helping."

"Shut up."

Finally, the red-haired appeared in front of them and sat down, her eyes darting between the door, a spot in the wall above Mia's head, a spot in the wall near Diego's head, the floor and then at Mia.

"What did you mean, 'to try again'? Is Feenie alright? Where is he?"

"Feenie?"

Her cheeks went as red as her hair, and she finally settled with looking at her hands, resting in her lap.

"Phoenix. Phoenix Wright. He survived? How is he? Does he…"

"I was hoping you would let me ask a few questions first."

Mia's heart broke just a little at seeing the other's dejected expression, and finally gave in. "He wasn't killed by the poison, but he is still in a critical condition. He has been unconscious ever since the incident."

"Don't think you can go and finish the job. No one will tell you which hospital he is at. Only a handful of people know he is still alive." Diego completed, watching amused and slightly annoyed (or maybe annoyed and slightly amused) as the woman flinched, opened her mouth to retort something and then turned back stubbornly to her silence. It was worth Mia's kick under the table.

"Why did you refuse to meet us?"

Dahlia mumbled something under her breath.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"It's because… becauseIk..k…killedFnie."

"Hm? I didn't hear you."

"I p…put the poison in the medicine. It was me! The man in the magenta suit proved it."

"No, he didn't. Where were you at midday?"

"I was with Feenie, buying the Coldkiller."

"And when did you put the poison in?"

"Um… I took it while he checked the receipt. And I went to the bathroom with it, and gave it to him afterwards."

"And what poison was it?"

"They have analyzed the bottle, haven't they? You should know already."

"Tell me."

"I don't remember. Um, cyanide?"

Mia rubbed her forehead, noticing a major headache forming.

"Listen. Dahlia Hawthorne is a manipulative bitch. She killed her sister. She robbed her father and killed her boyfriend. And she almost killed a lawyer as well." – _my_ lawyer she might have added, just not in front of him – "Dahia Hawthorne is cold, cruel and doesn't have a grasp of humanity left in her. So now tell me why you are letting me insult you like this?"

"I… I… I know that I haven't always done the right thing. And I know that I have made a huge mistake, but I'll do anything it takes to set things right again. And you don't understand how hard it was on… on me. It wasn't… my fault, it was… my parents' fault."

"Why?"

"Mother abandoned us, abandoned me. And father was father. So I had to be strong for... to survive."

Mia assessed this before setting it aside, not willing to get into an argument that would made the other leave.

"Ok, I'll believe you for now. But there is something I don't understand. If you were buying the medicine with Wright, how could his friend take this photo at the same time in a different place?"

"Maybe the time is wrong?"

"It is not wrong. Nor is it wrong the time at the drugstore."

"He could have taken it any other day."

"Not likely, and the camera can confirm the date for us."

"Could she be a lookalike? Feenie used to say that there was one for each of us."

Mia clenched her fists, letting the frustration take over and changed abruptly her way of questioning. Above all, what she needed was to _see_ the person in front of her, and not that carefully created mask.

"Did you love Terry Fawles at some point of time?"

"Never."

"Did you kill him?"

"I did."

"Did you love Phoenix Wright?"

Her eyes opened wide before tears finally began to fall, and she was no longer able to contain the flow, speaking between ragged breaths. "Yes. Even though… he didn't love _me… _It was… it was all… my fault. If I had been… more persistent, Feenie… ah!"

Mia and Diego watched as the girl in front of them seemed to regain her senses just in time before telling them something crucial again. Damn, she was a stubborn one. Mia felt the tiniest bit bad at making her cry, but she honestly didn't know what to do and she did also feel a tiny desire for revenge.

"What do you mean? How do you know he didn't love you?"

"It's because… he never knew…"

"The real you? _Who are you?_"

"I'm Dahlia."

"Then why attack him? Why didn't you explain things to him?"

The girl in front of her hid her face completely, sobs rushing. She was gripping the table in front of her as if it was an anchor, and her bangs covered her eyes as she let go of all the grief she had been bottling inside. Diego got up and motioned for the door. A meaningful glance told Mia to stop, and she reluctantly agreed and stood up as well.

"That will be all for now. We may come again, so please don't keep us waiting. And we _will _solve this."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything Myst… Fey."

Mia was already too far and too caught up in her own thoughts to notice, but Diego's eyes widened slightly. He made a quick mental note to check up on a little theory of his later…

* * *

><p><span>April 11, 17:17 PM<span>

Ivy University

The trip to Ivy University was filled with a tense silence, and none of them spoke until the car was parked.

"Did I do the right thing back there, Diego?"

"You may have gone a bit overboard kitten, but I would have done the same thing. Or worse."

That didn't help her feel better. They made their way quickly out of the parking lot and to the crime scene, but the place had already been cleaned and, since it had looked like an easy case, there were no hints of what had happened there. She wondered what to do when a familiar voice chirped behind them.

"If it isn't Mia Fey! You are Dahlia's attorney, aren't you?"

She turned to find the clueless man who had somehow helped her turn the case at the last minute. Somehow she couldn't find it in her to be as happy as he obviously was; he had caused part of her headache.

"Mr. Butz, was it? What are you doing here?"

"Duh, I study here, of course! Though I have been rethinking my life lately… maybe I'm not too much of a scholar, after all."

This man was completely and utterly clueless of the world. He barely seemed to have registered that his best friend was practically on his deathbed.

"Man, Edgey was so mean this morning. He has never been the life of the party but come on, how could he try so hard to incriminate Dahlia? And here I thought he was a nice guy 'n all."

Diego seemed mildly interested in this. Mia, though she tried not to show it, was too. She left her partner talk.

"You know Miles Edgeworth?"

"Sure I do. Edgey, Nick and I were best buddies back in school! But he moved all of a sudden and I hadn't seen him in years. I wonder what happened, and I had such plans for us…"

The lawyers had a really hard time imagining the Demon Prosecutor being 'best buddies' with the spiky head who was smiling goofily in the photo, much less with the failed Casanova they had in front of them.

"Could you tell us more about Mr. Wright then? He was an Art student, wasn't he? Do you know how he met Ms. Hawthorne?"

That set the waterfalls on. Mia wasn't that bad of a person; how come she was making everyone cry that day?

"Yes. We always got the best marks in art through high school, so he decided to major in Arts right off the bat. Then a few months ago he suddenly took up Law as well. I don't know what possessed him to do something that wicked. Just look what it did to Edgey.

Dahlia... he didn't talk much about her, I had to make him spit it out. I think he met her somewhere related to his Law studies. But she is a Literature student…" – this guy sure was sharp when it interested him (when there was a cute girl involved).

"Anyway, he suddenly started showing up with pink hand-made pullovers, and a golden bottle-shaped necklace and smiling like an idiot. I mean, how could one not notice? He was obviously head over heels for her, much more than when I tried pairing him with Megan in middle school…"

After hearing Larry – finally Mia was able to remember it right – conversing one-sidedly for what seemed like hours, they finally managed to excuse themselves and leave; but to Mia's surprise, Diego went straight to their car.

"Where are you going, Diego?"

"Just to check one or two things, Mia. Something the Larry kid just said stirred some old memories… and maybe I have a good reason to thank the Wright kid for. He might have saved my life, I should return the favor."

Mia stared at him, confused.

"And now I thought of an excellent place where our two lovebirds could have met. Southern California Courthouse."

The woman gasped as she made the connection. "You mean he is the one who delayed you that day?" She gave it some thought. "Maybe I'll pay him a visit later, then."

It took Mia a good three hours until she was satisfied with her tour around campus, but she didn't seem to find much. She had found the couple's schedules and sure enough, Dahlia last class ended at twelve. Aside from that, neither of them seemed to be much of a people person, and she could not find anyone who knew them well enough.

She quickly checked her watch before deciding to wrap up the investigation for the day, and headed for Hotti Clinic.

* * *

><p><span>April 11, 20:42 PM<span>

Hotti Clinic

Frankly, Mia was a bit disappointed. It had taken her a lot of persuasion, but there she was now in front of a bed with an unconscious, defenseless young man; if she was a murderer the boy would have been dead hours ago. She'd have to have a talk with the guard afterwards.

Now that she was here, she found that she didn't know what to do. She couldn't even see the boy's face through the breathing aids, but she could see his skin unhealthy pale. The thought that Diego might have meet that fate or worse didn't improve her already sulky mood, and she shank in one of the metal chairs.

When she was a child, everything had been black or white. She had been chosen as the Master's heir as the first born, but even when her sister came there was never the resentment that was so obvious in the previous generation. For her, her mother was 'white', her aunt was 'black'. And her mother was the Master.

After the DL-6 incident, when her mother left, she began to realize the world was not so simple. So she left Kurain; however during her college years and her first steps in Grossberg & associates, she still clung to her ideal monochrome world. And she still believed that in the end, the good guy would always win.

She was able to see the 'white' Terry Fawles when no one else did, and that is why she decided to help him. As the trial advanced, her beliefs pushed her forward. Over and over she fought the accusation's proofs and began uncovering the truth.

Then the dream ended.

She could have moved on if Fawles had been guilty. Even if the true culprit had managed to escape but Fawles had been able to live his own life again. But she was defeated but a demon in angel's form; for the first time in her life the darkness took over and she had to open her eyes to the truth.

On the following days, she had lost her resolve. The good guys don't always win. And she discovered why it hurt so much. After all this years, she had still hoped that everything would go back to the days of her childhood. She kept dreaming that, after an especially tricky case, her mother would suddenly appear and congratulate her and tell her that everything would be alright.

Who was she trying to fool? She kept thinking that she wanted to help others, but was that the truth? Wasn't she just doing it for her own selfish reasons?

It had been almost a year since then, and she still hadn't sorted out her feelings when the case came. Fate was probably laughing at her right now.

"Visitors hours have long since finished, Ms. Fey."

She was abruptly awakened from her reverie by a familiar annoying voice. The Demon Prosecutor came inside, scowling; did that guy _ever_ smile? Well, at least Mia didn't need to worry about lecturing the guard.

"The same could be said for you, Edgeworth."

He didn't answer, opting for sitting on the other end of the room, as far as possible from Mia and Phoenix. The silence seemed to stretch forever, neither willing to break it. The atmosphere was so dense that even the slightest movement seemed out of place. Finally, the man unfolded his arms.

"Wright has always been a moron." – "Just like him to choose a killer for a girlfriend."

"Was he your friend?"

To her surprise, Edgeworth actually gave it some thought instead of making a witty remark. Maybe this situation was overwhelming him as well. He _had_ been there one year ago, after all.

"It's been too long for that."

The silence took over once again, but it didn't seem as bad as before. The attorney and the prosecutor didn't like each other; but it was easier to tolerate their inner turmoil knowing that someone was passing through the same. After a long time, the prosecutor stood up and headed for the door. Mia didn't lift her head.

"They loved each other. I decided that I'm going to trust that girl in this."

Edgeworth glared at her from the doorstep, but it didn't seem as harsh as before.

"I'll do everything in my power to bring the culprit to justice. That is all."

After he left, she prepared to go home as well when her cell began ringing… crap, she had forgotten to turn it off… might as well answer now.

"Mia! Where are you?"

"Diego? I'm at the hospital… is there something wrong?"

"Listen, is there someone else there?"

"No, just me. Why?"

"I need you to find something. I came to the Courthouse and they told me an interesting story… do you see a necklace? A heart-shaped necklace with a small glass bottle inside, a bit girly… Damn, I'm almost there now. Listen kitten; that necklace is a vital key of the case. I'm following a thread, but I promise I'll be there before the trial is over."

"Wait, Diego! Where are you going!"

"You were right, kitten… That girl is not Dahlia. They we're accomplices. I have to leave now. Good luck." _click_

"Damn you, Diego! Don't you dare leave me in the dark like this!"

She shouted on the phone, knowing full well that there was no way the other would hear. She rummaged through the boy's possessions. Absentmindedly, she opened the boy's wallet, and was rewarded with a photo of the couple. They looked happy. She decided to keep it, hoping that it would help her to keep her word.

After fifteen minutes, she still couldn't find the necklace, and she was starting to imagine the worst.

Her suspicions were confirmed when, taking a closer look to the jumper, she found it a bit torn on the chest, and a little shiny rock that had obviously been decorating something. Stolen.

What was she supposed to do then?

* * *

><p><strong>At first, Iris was going to answer right away, short and simple, but suddenly she refused to meet Mia. So then Mia was supposed to leave and go to Ivy and come back later, but she refused as well. And when I checked the conversation already took 4 pages. Nobody listens to me T-T.<strong>


	4. Venomous glass slippers

**Ch.4 _ Venomous glass slippers**

* * *

><p><span>April 12, 09:42 AM<span>

District Court

Courtroom nº 1

Mia finished the coffee she had bought on her way and threw the can in an empty bin. Somehow, she had been able to sleep that night… too well in fact; as anyone would realize by the way she climbed the stairs three at a time and ran as if her life depended on it. Thank goodness she made it in time, and instantly began with the breathing exercises she had learned from that TV yoga program to calm down. The judge appeared, oblivious to her ordeal, but she could feel Edgeworth's scowl directed at her. Well, too bad.

"Is the defense ready?"

What a silly question. No, it isn't. "It is, Your Honor."

"The accusation is also ready and would like to start the procedures. We call to the stand the suspect, Dahlia Hawthorne." The poor judge didn't have much authority, being handed by those prosecutors all the time.

But now it was not the time to worry about that; her client was there, and she only had the cross-examination to help her.

"Could you tell us what happened that day?"

* * *

><p><strong>[The day of the crime]<strong>

"Umm… Feenie and I met at 9:00 on the way to classes, like always. He had been one or two days with a cold, but insisted on coming to class. He wore a mask so that he wouldn't infect other people."

"We met again at… about 11:30, I think, and I accompanied him to the drugstore."

"I took the bottle on the way back and put the poison inside when he wasn't look… looking."

"Then I returned it to him when we went to have lunch together."

**[]**

* * *

><p>"Ms. Hawthorne, are you admitting you are guilty?"<p>

"I am, Your Honor."

"Well then, I don't see..."

"OBJECTION! The defense has the right to cross-examine every testimony! Regardless of what the suspect believes or admits!"

"But, Ms. Fey…"

"No buts, Your Honor. The defense demands to wait until after the cross-examination before making a decision!"

"But… Mr. Edgeworth! Help me!"

"The accusation doesn't object." Mia silently thanked the prosecutor.

"After all, it will only serve for the defense to make a fool of themselves." Mia silently sent Edgeworth to hell.

"Ok, so you met at 9:00? Was that a normal occurence?"

"Yes, we normally met on the same place. Then we would part ways in front of one of our classes, the closest one. If nothing happened, we would meet again at 14:00 to eat, then I would go home and he'd go to the library."

"But that day you met him about three hours ahead of time? What about your lesson?"

"I umm… I skipped it."

"Why?"

"Because… he was sick… so I was worried."

Oh man, that had to be the lamest excuse Mia had ever heard.

"And why would you worry if you planned to kill him?"

"OBJECTION! We are not here to determine the suspect's mental state, only her implication on the crime."

"Mr. Edgeworth is right. If is not relevant to the case, then please refrain from asking, Ms. Fey."

Mia pondered this for a moment. "It's not relevant, Your Honor. I'm sorry. Then, Ms. Hawthorne, when did you leave Mr. Wright?"

"What do you mean?"

"In the testimony you said that you 'left to switch the medicine with poison'. So? When was that?"

"Oh, um… I'm, I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, does it? I had the Coldkiller X with me since he bought it until he was poisoned. No one else could have done it but me."

"The accusation asks the defense to stop harassing the witness. Unless they can prove that the suspect did not have the poison with her during that time, this case is as good as closed."

Crap. She ran through the clues and testimonies in her head, but there was nothing useful. She couldn't prove it, and Edgeworth knew it: A bluff would get her nowhere. _Think, Mia!_

"Why?"

"What?" Edgeworth was, for once, at a loss.

"What?" The judge parroted, who was quite often at a loss.

"I am saying that my client did not have a reason to commit the crime. Until the motive isn't specified, it will be too soon to end the trial."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Dahlia panicking. She had stricken a nerve. Now that she thought about it – she had taken for granted that Dahlia was a killer; she hadn't yet stopped to guess what the motive was – there was only one explanation; the necklace. And the only reason Dahlia would risk everything to steal that was because it could incriminate her of something. A heart-shaped necklace with a small glass bottle inside; she remembered all too well what secret it had.

"I… I don't want to testify."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hawthorne, but you can't refuse. Since you claim to be the murderer, please state your motive." The judge said, apologetic.

"…"

"Ms. Hawthorne?"

"…"

"Please, Dahlia. Just tell the truth already."

"I…"

The door slammed open and two people came in. Mia sighed with relief when she spotted her attorney, all her thoughts of strangling him forgotten but her face soon reflected the same dumbfounded expression of everyone else in the room when she noticed the other intruder. It was a petite woman, dressed in white with the traditional medium hood and being the pure image of anger.

"IRIS! I can't believe it's true! What are you doing here?"

"Sister Bikini! I… I am Dahlia. You are mistaken."

"Do not, DO NOT try to fool me! I have known you since you were a toddler, Iris, and you are NO murderer."

"Order! Order on court! What is the meaning of this?"

Diego coughed, and made sure that everyone's attention was on him before speaking.

"I am sorry" – And he was obviously anything but sorry – "for interrupting the trial so abruptly, but the defense has found a vital clue of this case. We request a…"

"YOU! Why are you doing this to Iris? She is not guilty! So do something about this!"

Mia had to give it to her; in a matter of seconds, that woman had overpowered every man on court… even Diego, if she knew him as well as she thought she did. So much so that when the petite woman got in the stand without anyone's consent, no one dared to protest. Instead, Edgeworth opted for saving face.

"Would the… unexpected witness state her name and profesion?"

"Oh, I will, boy. I am sister Bikini, head priestess of the Hazakura Temple."

* * *

><p><strong>[She is not my girl!]<strong>

"This trial is a sham! Iris would never harm anyone!"

"Iris has been a priestess of Hazakura Temple ever since she was left in my care."

"I don't know anything about her family, but…"

"That girl is Iris, no doubt about it!"

**[]**

* * *

><p>"Something I should know, Diego?"<p>

"Dahlia _had _a twin, but she was abandoned years ago. They kept contact, though."

"I don't know if I should kiss you or hit you right about now."

"Different brands of coffee are different worlds, kitten. Let's prove it."

First things first, and leaving aside Diego's attempts of sounding profound, she had to demonstrate that Iris was the one she was defending. At least this time Mia didn't have to rack her brains to find a thread she could follow.

"Sister Bikini, Iris has been living in the temple since she was little, is that correct?"

"That is what I just said. I don't like repeating myself."

"The point is, you are the one who knows her the best, aren't you?"

"Ha, ha, ha. I don't like to brag, but yes, I am. I know everything there is to know, and I know this: Iris would never ever kill anyone. It's ridiculous!"

"But you admit you never knew her family. You didn't know that Iris had a twin called Dahlia Hawthorne, as well as a father and an older sister?"

"Look, her father came and left her in the temple without a word. The poor girl would have frozen to death if I hadn't looked outside by chance! If someone has done something, you'd better check on that so called 'family'."

Mia could feel the feeling of anticipation skyrocketing on court as she asked the question that everyone was waiting for.

"How can we be sure she is Iris? I mean, apart from your testimony, what definite proof do we have?"

"She IS Iris, Mystic Mia. There is no need to prove anything. Even if she has dyed her hair red, I can recognize her anywhere."

Mia heaved a sigh of relief. Now Edgeworth would have no way to refuse to do the tests. With a bit of luck, she would be able to request for a fingertip test as well. She was a bit irritated with the prosecutor, thought, for not having done that at the very beginning. He really would do (or not do) everything to get his verdict. And after what he told her the other day, too.

"The accusation asks for a break in order to examine the latest development. If Your Honor approves, we will take samples of hair… and also the suspect's fingertips."

The judge did approve, and relented into a fifteen-minutes break. Edgeworth left with Iris, and Mia stepped into the defendant lobby with Diego and sister Bikini.

"Care to explain, Diego? How did you know?"

"I've been investigating that harpy for more than a year now, I already had my suspicions on her. I just kept looking at the wrong places. Do you remember where the murder of Valerie Hawthorne was? That bridge led to the Hazakura temple. _Where sister Bikini and Iris live_. The twins have been accomplices in almost everything… everything but the attacks on Swallow and Wright."

"I can't believe it… I should never have let my girl go." The priestess intervened.

"What do you mean? She had left the temple?"

"About eight months ago. She only said that she had to help someone dear to her, and that she'd be back soon. She called often, and even came back one or two times, but she kept saying 'not yet'. And she started to sound… different. As if… she didn't want to come back anymore."

"Do you know why would she want to impersonate her sister?"

"No."

"Did she talk about someone else when she called?"

The problem was Phoenix Wright. What part had he played in the drama? Maybe he and Iris had started dating while she did whatever mission she had to do for her sister, and Dahlia had killed him out of resentment? Not likely. He found something he shouldn't have? Possible. Maybe just because he could blow hers and her sister cover?

That would explain why Iris felt so guilty. But if that was so, what had been Dahlia after?

And how did the necklace fit in all this? Maybe _he_ was part of Dahlia's plan all along, like a disposable pawn? The questions just kept piling up.

"Why is Iris accused of murder, Mystic Mia? Who was the victim?"

Not sure on what to say, Mia opted for showing the woman the photo she had found the other day. The woman took it in her hands and after a few seconds she let out a long, tired sigh.

"I should have known that a girl like Iris would find someone sooner or later. My poor girl…"

"He is not dead yet. He is in a coma." Mia blurted unable to stop herself in time.

"Really? Then you must save my Iris. I need to meet my son-in-law, after all!"

It was… a strange association of ideas. Mia was sure Iris had a lot more problems in her hands than introducing him to sister Bikini, especially if he did wake up still thinking she was Dahlia. It sure was good material for a soap opera.

"But it is a pity that he is not here. You could ask him why he takes so little care of his memories of Iris." He motioned for the back of the photo.

On the upper right part, there was something written in a hurry, in disheveled characters.

Not a dying message, though. That was too good to be true. Instead, it looked like some kind of order.

_antiq 1 aft. 2 wedn 1200 120$ ask Buchanan_

"What does that mean?"

Diego took it from her hands without so much as a 'please', but Mia ignored it. He whistled.

"It looks like a present. 120 dollars, she really had the gal wrapped around her little finger."

"Very romantic, Diego. Give that back. I wonder who this Buchanan is, maybe the store owner?"

"Probably. But I doubt it has any special meaning. Kitten, we have to focus on the case; you know what is going to happen if they prove she is not Dahlia, don't you?"

"They'll interrogate her on why she impersonated her sister, and then the trial could be put on hold."

"If this ends up as a cold case, that woman will escape again, just like last time. But now…"

"She'll try to finish the job with Iris and Wright. I know."

"Be on your toes, kitten. Think of every move you make as your last chance."

Mia was still reluctant to discard the photo, but there was nothing there except for the weird note and a date on the left. _Dahlia & Phoenix, 7 September, 199-._ Eight months, that wasn't even… a year.

"Diego… what did you find yesterday when you came here?"

Diego looked confused for a moment, but after he saw the date, he was able to do the connection as well, and smirked. His next words sounded a lot more confident than before.

A few minutes later, the room filled again in silence, and finally Edgeworth announced what everyone suspected. The woman in front of them had never been Dahlia Hawthorne.

Iris walked to the stand and opened her umbrella with a resolute movement. She fidgeted with her hair before speaking.

"I am so sorry for lying, Your Honor. I just didn't know what to do… I hope you are not angry with me. I'll do my best from now on."

* * *

><p><strong>We are quickly reaching the end of the story; I know that it might look like nothing much happened in this chapter but I assure you that things won't go that smoothly for Mia and the others...<strong>

**Before I forget, if you like mystery books you might want to check out 'Crimes', by Ferdinand von Schirach; it tells some real-life cases the author took part in as attorney. Some of them are very disturbing, but it is a great book, not the kind of cases you have in the average black novel.**


	5. Little Mermaid's stolen voice

**Ch.5 _ Little Mermaid's stolen voice**

* * *

><p>It was a weird situation. Mia was one step away from proving the innocence of her client, but that would not be enough this time. To ensure Iris' safety, she also had to prove Dahlia's guilt without a doubt, and her motive. Maybe that would help the police to find her before she could harm anyone else.<p>

Iris waited for the approval of the judge, and then she made a pause to arrange her thoughts. Her eyes began to water, but she managed to keep her emotions in check, even if her voice trembled and betrayed her true feelings just a bit. The whole court felt sympathetic with her.

* * *

><p><strong>[My sister and I]<strong>

"It is all true. Dahlia was my sister, but she kept living with father while I went to the temple."

"Eight months ago, she asked for my help. I don't know what happened exactly. I heard that her boyfriend had gotten in trouble, and I think she was scared."

"So we decided to switch for a while, and I began to attend college in her place. I met Feenie, and we started dating."

"I have caused her so much trouble… I never meant to have her mixed up in something like this…"

**[]**

* * *

><p>At least, Iris was cooperating. Mia had feared that she would refuse to testify again; but it was obvious that she was still wary and would not betray Dahlia so easily.<p>

"When did you start dating Mr. Wright?"

"I'm not sure. A few days after I took Dahlia's place, maybe about a week."

"And you had never met him before?"

"No, I hadn't."

"So, he wouldn't know about the fact that you were twins."

"That's right. He only met me as Dahlia and never saw her. I never talked about my sister either, it's not Feenie's fault!"

"The defense is getting sidetracked. If they can't prove that Wright and Ms. Hawthorne met at some point of time, this is only a baseless speculation." Edgeworth, once again, was being a major pain in the neck. Ok, let's see… eight months ago, the Swallow incident.

"By trouble, I take you are talking about Doug Swallow's murder."

"Yes."

"You know that she was investigated as the prime suspect?"

"But there was no proof that she did it. And it wasn't the first time she had been falsely accused."

"Do you know the circumstances of his death?"

"She told me… that she had an appointment here, and that Mr. Swallow appeared out of the blue. But I'm afraid I don't know the details. Does it matter?"

Before the judge could intervene, Mia continued. Thanks to Diego's research, she could keep pressing.

"It matters. In that moment, you had not yet swapped places with her. Isn't that weird?"

She saw the concern written all over Iris' face… and also something else. Something was not right. In fact, something was definitely, definitely off. Mia brushed of the uneasy feeling she had to deal with it later, and waited.

"What… what do you mean?"

"I mean that when you went to campus, Phoenix had already met you. You started dating the very same day of the murder, inside this building!"

"That… that…"

"Of course, there is another possible explanation for this. That he met a different person altogether!"

The judge found his voice then. "And who would that person be? Please show us, Ms. Fey"

"That person… was Dahlia Hawthorne."

"OBJECTION! That is not possible. The witness would have known something like that. Can you back up your words?"

"Of course I can. I wouldn't have said it if I couldn't." Actually, she might have. Not that they needed to know. She showed the photo in a way that her fingers hid the second note, deciding that it would be good to have a trump card left.

"I have the proof right here, in this photo. Look at the date on the right. It coincides with the date of Swallow's murder! It is too much of a coincidence; therefore, those two cases must be related!"

For a moment, it looked as if anything near Iris would spontaneously combust. Then she turned back to her original, angelic face. She looked to the judge, apologetic.

"Ms. Fey is right. I want to testify again, if it isn't too much trouble."

The bad feeling Mia had had increased ten-fold by now. It started to take shape and she didn't like where it was going…

* * *

><p><strong>[Feenie and I]<strong>

"As Ms. Fey said, Feenie had already met Dahlia that day. They met in the library, where he was studying."

"Dahlia said it had been love at first sight. They connected, and they agreed on dating that very same day."

"She asked me not to tell him, so I kept pretending to be her, even then… I continued playing Dahlia's part, but… but I…"

"I don't think he ever realized I wasn't his Dollie. He never noticed anything wrong with me! And while I spent time with him, I…"

"I envied her."

**[]**

* * *

><p>The trap had been set. Mia could only stand there, while the spider web formed. It was all so painfully obvious now, but she could not protest without making a fool of herself. After everything they had been through…<p>

"They switched again." Diego looked defeated as well.

"If I press her, she'll convince everyone that Phoenix deserved his fate. And she'll convince everyone that Iris did it. She has just provided the motive, and that is the only thing we had in our favor." She murmured.

"Kitten…"

"How could she? To her own sister? How many lives does she have to destroy in front of me to be satisfied?"

"Mia."

"I can't do this anymore. I can't take it. That…that monster!"

"MIA!"

Everyone stared at Diego, but he ignored them in favor of snapping Mia out of her daze. He took her by the shoulders so that she gave her back to the stand.

"This is not the Mia Fey I know. The Mia I know would never give up until the very end." He whispered angrily, his words just out of earshot for everyone except for her. "I told you; ever since that girl got there, we are working with last chances. There _IS_ a chance. Find it. You are not alone in this, never will be."

"Ummm… Ms. Fey, are you alright? Can you continue?" The judge asked.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Your Honor." Her mind began working again, faster than ever.

"Diego, Iris…"

"I'm on it."

As inconspicuously as he could manage (that wasn't much), Diego left the room. That was it. The last chance. If it was like that, then she'd have to deal the finishing blow before she was done for. It was do or die. She had a word to keep.

The necklace. The only thing she had left was the necklace's existence and the photo that had supported her beliefs all that time. That photo showed the love she had been able to see through the crystal of the detention center. It showed that Iris, like Terry Fawles, had never harmed anyone.

_antiq._The necklace could have been a heirloom, an antique. Was that what it meant?

_ask Buchanan. _Whatever it was, it was something that could not be done right away. He wasn't buying, then.

_120$._ What could have been so expensive then? A special order? Like what?

_2 wedn 1200_

…

_wedn 1200_

The day of the murder, at midday. An arranged meeting? The necklace had been stolen. Then why was Dahlia still here? _2._ Maybe she hadn't found what she was looking for? _2…_

"_I took the bottle on the way back and put the poison inside when he wasn't looking. Then I returned it to him when we went to have lunch together."_

What if… would it be too far-fetched to think that she had not been the only one acting on the other's back?

This time she could not figure out the path ahead. But she was able to see the first stepping stone, hidden among the bushes.

"Iris. You affirm that it was love at first sight. Maybe it is true." And it hurt to keep the charade up. "Do you recognize the necklace Phoenix is wearing in this photo?"

She pondered this for a moment, and then decided that there was no way to hide the whole truth. "Yes, Dahlia gave it to him that day. It was something she used to wear, and he would never take it off."

"That necklace was important to him? But it was not found on the crime scene, or in the victim. Do you know where could it be?"

There was a moment of silence, while both women realized their precarious position. Hawthorne had no way of knowing about Mia's suspicions. She didn't know about the existence of that note, but if Mia was right, she had noticed the flaw on her plan. And Hawthorne was a person who always seemed to turn the problems into opportunities.

"…Yes. I took it. It is in my purse."

And without a single fingertip, Mia was sure of it. Hawthorne was probably anticipating the next question, on why did she steal it. But Mia never asked that.

"I'm sure you know that is not true. The necklace in your possession is nothing but a well-crafted replica."

For a moment, Mia expected the prosecutor to interrupt and finish her. But he remained silent, a calculating look in his eyes. He was letting her go on. Strangely, that gave her confidence.

"This is what happened. This case began one year ago, in this very same room. Terry Fawles committed suicide in that stand. About four months later, there was a second incident; the murder of Doug Swallow in the cafeteria. The poison was never found, but in both cases, Dahlia Hawthorne was interrogated as a suspect."

"Ms. Fey, what…?"

"The truth is Swallow's death was an accident. The person Hawthorne was meeting, the one she was planning to assassinate, was a lawyer… A lawyer who was getting too close to the truth. However, the lawyer arrived late, and it that lapse of time, Swallow ended up getting killed. There were too many witnesses, and the only thing she could do was to hide the poison, and fast."

Hawthorne seemed to want to interrupt, so Mia kept going, almost forgetting to breath.

"She arrived at the library, where she met Mr. Wright. It was the perfect chance. She gave him the poison without him knowing, under the pretense of 'going out'. But there would be an investigation. To be safe, she asked her sister Iris to take her place, probably to recover the poison. Iris failed. She couldn't get it back. So Dahlia Hawthorne grew impatient, and decided to repeat her crime."

"Ms. Fey, that story has many loopholes. How could she give him the poison without him knowing?"

"It's obvious, Your Honor! The poison was hidden _inside_ the necklace! In the crystal bottle, to be precise!"

"Could the defense explain why the necklace the suspect has is a replica?"

"If my theory is true, Iris must have tried to get it back repeatedly. Phoenix refused, but maybe he gave in, eventually. It was the first present he got from her! If he was going to give it back, he might have tried something special, like creating a pair before doing so."

"But that theory would only make sense if he never told either of the twins of his plans." Edgeworth was rubbing his chin. Everyone clung onto his words (why his? It was Mia's idea!) "And it would give Dahlia Hawthorne a good motive to get it back… even at the expense of murder. I hope the defense can back her theory with a proof."

"I can. Phoenix had concerted a meeting with an antiques dealer called Buchanan the day of the crime. He bought or ordered an object for 120$. He can verify this, and also if the object Ms. Hawthorne claims to have is the original or a copy."

"Ha! So what?" The angelic mask had broken, at last. "You are forgetting something. That little theory of yours only works _if_ you can prove that the real necklace hid poison in it! But how can you do that? Do you even know where it is?"

"I do."

The judge gaped and everybody had more or less the same expression. In the door, there was a girl with red hair and a pink dress. Diego had a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to speak.

"You… what are _you_ doing?"

"I'm… I'm sorry Dahlia. I didn't want things to end this way. But if it's true… if it's true that he was going to give me the necklace back, I can't keep lying. Mr. Armando is right."

"Wait a minute, what's going on?"

"These twins have been playing with us all along, Your Honor. After it was proven that Iris had been impersonating Dahlia, she never stepped on court again. _This _one is Iris. She hid in the toilets while the other was there trying to sabotage her."

"Thank goodness there aren't three of them."

Edgeworth coughed. "Regardless, did you say you know where the real necklace is?"

"Yes, I think I do. I mean, I know where it is."

"How?"

"It is because… Mystic Mia said that it wasn't found on him that day. And if he got it that morning, he couldn't have hid it very far. Also because… today… it was special for us, so it had to be close. So… there is only one place he could have hidden it. It is still on Ivy University. It is on the dorms, in his room under the false bottom of the cupboard. That is where he stored everything important to him."

"We will send someone immediately." Edgeworth conversed with a man dressed nicely next to him, and he quickly disappeared. It would take thirty minutes to find the answer. Or maybe not.

"No… NO! You knew it! You hid it from me! You and that moron ruined everything!"

"I didn't! I never knew that he would do this… But I… I… I know him better than you do. I know him better than anyone else does! And, and he knows me too. Even if he didn't know my name, he was always there for me. I won't betray him anymore. Please, try to understand."

"IRRRIIIIISSSSSS!"

The call arrived after what seemed like an eternity. The necklace had been found. The liquid inside was mostly harmless now, but there was traces of poison left. Further investigation on the crime scene proved that it was Dahlia and not Iris the one who had eaten with him that day, and that she left before Iris and Larry arrived.

Thanks to Diego's final testimony, Iris was found not guilty. Dahlia's luck finally ran out; she was condemned for Swallow's murder as well as Phoenix's attempted murder. Nothing could be done for Terry Fawles, since he committed suicide. Mia would have wanted to clear his name as well, but then Iris might have been accused of being an accomplice, so she reluctantly let go.

She had more than one reason to protect that girl, after all.

* * *

><p>A week later, Iris stood on the door of the soon-to-be Fey &amp; Co. Law Office. She was greeted – more like tackled – by a dark-haired girl a few years younger than her, wearing strange clothes and a magatama around her neck.<p>

"Cousin Iris! I really, really wanted to meet you after everything Mia told us! Pearly wanted to come too, but aunt Morgan said no, so I said I'll make you promise to go see her! Promise?"

The attorney couple appeared from the room next door.

"Maya, stop harassing Iris. You have just met, for speaking out loud!"

"But she is _family._ She _has_ to come. You like us, don't you?"

Iris smiled happily. It was good to see her with an expression that wasn't sad or scared. Things have been weird at first between them, when she could no longer hide her relationship to the Fey, but Mia had accepted her whole-heartedly (which didn't mean she accepted the other, she assured herself. It was just Iris).

Maya and Pearl had also been excited about the perspective of meeting a long-lost relative; it was like an adventure for them. Morgan had not been so welcoming, especially since Iris lacked the spiritual abilities of the clan, but she had sister Bikini. She would be fine. Mia kept thinking about this, as she found the car keys and they all left the office.

The girls leaped down the stairs, with Maya eagerly pulling Iris, while Mia and Diego waited for the elevator. Diego kissed her on the neck, and she protested half-heartedly, but smiling.

"Now that I think of it, what did you tell Iris to make her change her mind?"

"I told her to stop running away. I told her to use her last chance."

The doors opened with a soft noise, and her sister dragged them out, eager to meet the other addition to her family. Even if he could not see her yet, he would. One day he would.

* * *

><p><strong>Here concludes the story of Double turnabout. There is a small epilogue left, that'll be out tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. ^^<strong>

**Thanks a lot to Feyfangirl and Clydell Humphries that have been reviewing through all of the chapters, and also thanks to all of you who followed and liked this story. Thank you!**


	6. After one hundred years of slumber

**WARNING: Slight spoilers of Ace Attorney. **

**And I still don't own these games, so no wedding for now.**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue _ After one hundred years of slumber<strong>

* * *

><p>Three years quickly passed by, and Mia was now the head of a successful law firm. Hers and Diego's name kept gaining fame. Especially in tricky cases where all the evidence seemed to point at the client, it was said that they would always pull through… if the client was innocent, of course.<p>

That trial had changed their lives for the best. Mia lifted her head from the papers in front of her to remember.

Iris had resumed her Literature studies, this time under her real name. She divided her time between the temple, the city and Kurain. While Morgan never acted like the mother she was, she finally accepted her after Iris announced she didn't have any intention of becoming Master and after she got Pearl to talk to her under an impressive mark of twenty seconds, becoming best friends and true sisters before three minutes had passed.

Edgeworth had taken a long vacation too after the trial. Mia remembered how Iris had run to him to tell him something she didn't quite catch. He seemed taken aback, but the moment broke when Larry attacked them from behind. There had been rumors of him having a great argument with his mentor, Manfred von Karma, and soon after he began travelling around the world. He came back every now and then, sometimes for months, but he was a different man. Easier to deal with (most of the time).

Larry was still Larry, and Mia learned through and through what that meant. Who was it that told her: 'When something smells, it's usually the Butz'? So true. He had not only been a witness in various cases; just last week he was almost charged with a murder he never committed. The murderer, Sawhit or something like that, was not the smartest of criminals, but he did give her a hard time.

Speaking of which, she had done a very good job with the statue Larry gave her as 'payment' at the end of the trial. The clock inside had been carefully removed, and instead a big stack of papers took its place. Once the head was again into place, no one would be able to tell that inside was the information that would send Bluecorp and Redd White to bankrupt.

The phone started ringing, and she wondered for a moment if it was Maya again. She would be coming that day; it had been a while and Mia was really looking forward to it. She had planned to take her sister and cousin to a new hamburger restaurant nearby, and maybe have some girls' time alone with them. Actually, Mia knew that Diego was preparing a surprise for her, and she secretly wished it would involve white dresses and a big cake.

She answered, giving her back to the front door. She could see the lights from the rooms of the hotel across the street.

"Hello? Fey & Co. Law Office, how may we help you?"

"Mystic Mia!"

Mia instantly knew that something had happened. After a lot of persuasion, Iris only called her that when she was upset or excited. She sounded both, but there was also something else. Was it hope?

"What's wrong?"

"He woke up!"

"What?"

"He woke up! Feenie woke up! The doctors made me go outside, they want to conduct some tests on him, see if everything is alright… you know how worried they were when his hair started to lose color… but he's been awake for more than ten minutes now, they say this time it could be for real!"

"Really? That's great, Iris! And how are you feeling?"

"Me? Why would you ask that?"

"Don't try to fool me. Tell me what's bugging you."

"Well… the last time he regained consciousness it was just a few minutes but… he talked."

Mia pinched the bridge of her nose. "What did he say?"

"Dollie."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes. Don't do anything reckless, got it?"

The person on the other end of the phone laughed, more animated than ever.

"Of course not, what could I do in a hospital? I'm so happy, Mystic Mia. I'm scared too, but mostly I'm happy. Sometimes I feared it was never going to happen."

"Just wait until Maya, Pearl and Diego hear about it. They won't give you a moment of peace. And don't forget sister Bikini, she is going to love this."

Mia took her purse and two sets of keys; after some thought, she took the statue as well and hastily closed the door. The statue was thrown under the passenger's seat, and she dialed a number from her phone's memory. After three times, the answering machine beeped.

"Diego, I have a favor to ask of you. Can you go pick Maya up at the train station? I'd hate for her to go at the office and find it empty, you see…"

Yes, things were definitely going well. And Mia felt that they would only get better from that moment on.

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, thanks for reading!<strong>

**P.S.: I'm thinking on doing a sequel, or maybe more, but I don't think it would be anytime soon. I'd rather have them completely written before posting them. ^^**


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